Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for the blessings in our lives, cherish connections with loved ones, and reflect on shared abundance.

Thanksgiving is also a mix of chaos and comfort: a time when families gather to feast, share laughs, and occasionally debate something that should be off-limits for such gatherings (politics, UFO evidence, unsolicited opinions/advice, etc.). As you’re carving the turkey and dodging Cousin Chad’s latest conspiracy theory, have you ever noticed how Thanksgiving traditions can mirror good cybersecurity practices?

Okay, maybe you haven’t—it’s not exactly dinner table talk—but I there are some correlations. From prepping the perfect meal to handling the inevitable family drama, Thanksgiving offers some funny(ish) and accurate lessons for keeping ourselves safe. Grab a plate, pour some gravy, and let’s dig in! You might not look at your firewall—or stuffing—the same way again.

1. Cooking the Turkey = System Configuration

You can’t just throw a frozen turkey in the oven and hope for the best. That’s how you end up on YouTube with your smoke detector blaring in the background. Similarly, configuring your systems properly ensures everything runs smoothly.

• Tip: Don’t “set it and forget it.” Use the right tools, follow instructions, and avoid serving up a security disaster alongside your dry turkey.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for the IT folks who are there for us, especially those who work meticulously to configure/do sh*t right—because nobody wants a half-cooked bird or an open port.

2. Leftovers = Backups

Thanksgiving leftovers are the unsung heroes of the holiday. Whether it’s midnight turkey sandwiches or reheated stuffing, they save you from cooking again. Backups do the same for your data—except without the cranberry sauce.

• Tip: Always have a plan B. Backups make life easier when everything else goes sideways, much like cold pumpkin pie for breakfast.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for wherever you’re storing your backups (cloud storage, tapes, etc.), this is your fridge of your digital world. Just don’t let your roommate (or ransomware) eat all your leftovers.

3. Family Drama = Internal Threats

Every family has at least one member who brings the chaos—Cousin Chad and his conspiracy theories, or Grandma Betty spilling tea about your dating life. They’re like insider threats: well-meaning but still wreaking havoc.

• Tip: Train your team (and your family) to minimize unintentional damage. For Cousin Chad, that might mean a “no politics” rule. For cybersecurity, it’s proper user education.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for patient trainers and HR policies—because without them, both your dinner table and your network would be a war zone.

4. The Turkey Timer = System Monitoring

You wouldn’t guess when the turkey’s done unless you like serving poultry-flavored charcoal. That’s why you use a timer or thermometer. Monitoring tools do the same for your network, ensuring everything stays within the “safe zone.”

• Tip: Don’t assume it’s all fine—check the logs, set alerts, and respond before your digital turkey goes up in flames.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for monitoring tools. Without them, you’d be “that person” who ruined Thanksgiving and the company server.

5. The Stuffing Dilemma = Phishing Scams

Stuffing is all about balance—too much, and you’ve got a soggy mess. Similarly, phishing emails overload your inbox with promises of free iPads and discount turkeys. If you bite, you’ll regret it faster than trying “tofu stuffing.”

• Tip: Think before you click. If it seems too good to be true, it’s probably stuffed with malware instead of breadcrumbs.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for your spam filter—it’s the bouncer that does their best at keeping sketchy stuffing (and emails) out of your inbox.

6. Uninvited Guests = (criminal) Hackers

Ever had that random neighbor who “just happened to smell the turkey” and shows up unannounced? The criminal hackers are no different—they’re always testing for open doors and looking to crash your party.

• Tip: Lock your digital doors (firewalls, strong passwords, etc.) and your literal doors. The turkey’s for invited guests only.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for multi-factor authentication. It’s the equivalent of asking, “Who do you know here?” before letting someone grab a plate.

7. Grandma’s Recipe Book = Secure Passwords

Grandma guards her secret pie recipe like it’s the nuclear launch codes. Your passwords should have the same level of security—complex, unique, and not shared with every cousin who asks.

• Tip: Use a password manager—it’s the recipe box of your digital life. And no, “pumpkin123” is not a secure password.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for the one relative who refuses to share their recipes or their credentials. They’re doing it right.

8. The Dessert Table = Access Control

Not everyone gets free rein over the dessert table. If you let Uncle Bob near the pies first, you’ll have crumbs and regrets for days. Access control works the same way—only authorized users get access to the good stuff.

• Tip: Use role-based permissions. Give Uncle Bob a slice, not the whole pie.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for access control policies—they’re the reason the pie (and your data) survives the holiday.

9. Dodging Political Arguments = Avoiding Malware

We all know not to engage in political debates at Thanksgiving. The same goes for random links and downloads—most of them lead straight to regret.

• Tip: Avoid shady websites and sketchy attachments. When in doubt, back away slowly—whether it’s Uncle Joe or a pop-up ad.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for browser extensions and holiday wine—both excellent tools for dodging trouble.

10. Cleaning Up = Cyber Hygiene

Thanksgiving cleanup isn’t glamorous, but leaving dirty dishes in the sink is a recipe for disaster. Cyber hygiene works the same way—if you don’t maintain it regularly, the mess will only grow.

• Tip: Patch, update, and audit your systems regularly. Also, don’t let the gravy boat sit overnight.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for clean plates and clean systems—because nobody wants to deal with hardened gravy or legacy vulnerabilities.

11. Kids at the Kids’ Table = Network Segmentation

There’s a reason we stick the kids at their own table—they’re loud, messy, and sort of a pain in the ass. The same logic applies to network segmentation: keep the high-risk, unpredictable devices (like IoT gadgets) separate from your critical systems.

• Tip: Isolate risky elements so they can’t disrupt the main event—whether that’s your corporate network or the adults’ dinner conversation.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for segmentation. Without it, your data center would be covered in digital spaghetti and juice boxes.

12. Grandpa’s Stories = Log Files

Grandpa’s been telling the same story about “that one Thanksgiving in ’83” for decades, but you know what? Those stories are records of the past—and they come in handy when you need to figure out why the turkey fryer mysteriously exploded. Similarly, log files keep a record of activity in your systems, helping you trace issues when things go wrong.

• Tip: Review your logs regularly. They might seem repetitive, but when something goes awry, you’ll be glad they’re there.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for logs and for Grandpa’s memory—both are invaluable when piecing together what the hell just happened.

13. Dodging the Mystery Casserole = Avoiding Shadow IT

Every family meal has a mystery casserole. Nobody knows who brought it or what’s in it, but it’s sitting on the table anyway. Shadow IT works the same way—unauthorized software or hardware lurking in your environment, ready to ruin your day.

• Tip: Identify and eliminate shadow IT before it becomes a problem. Otherwise, you’re just one spoonful away from disaster.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for inventory audits—they’re the reason you don’t end up eating “lima bean surprise.”

14. The Turkey Wishbone = Risk Management

Breaking the turkey wishbone is all about weighing the odds and hoping for the best—a lot like managing risk in cybersecurity. You can’t eliminate all risk, but you can identify what’s worth focusing on and prioritize accordingly.

• Tip: Don’t leave your security strategy to luck. Take a proactive approach to managing risks, and you’ll end up with more than just the short end of the wishbone.
• Gratitude: Be thankful for risk assessments—they’re like the grown-up version of flipping a coin to see who gets the bigger piece.

In Closing

Thanksgiving and cybersecurity have more in common than you’d think. Both require preparation, vigilance, and a little humor to survive. So this year, whether you’re carving the turkey or securing your network, take a moment to be grateful for the tools, processes, and people that keep everything from falling apart.

Happy Thanksgiving! Stay safe, stay stuffed, and don’t forget to double-check that pie crust and your firewall.